Neurodevelopment

Question 1

specific learning disorder

Answer 1

• Performance is substantially below expected levels in one area based on age or developmental level
  
  • Does not seem to be heritable
  • Dyslexic parent does not mean child will be dyslexic. They are more prone to having a learning disorder.
  • Reading difficulties most common (affect 7%)
  • Students with learning disorders
  • Causes:
  • Psychosocial: some languages are more difficult to read
    Intense educational interventions as treatment of specific learning disorder

Question 2

austism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Answer 2

• Three levels of severity
  ○ 1: requiring support
  ○ 2: requiring substantial support
  ○ 3:requiring very substantial support
  
  • Severe forms: ritualistic behavior
    ○ e.g., spinning, waving hands, rocking
  • Less severe forms: intense, circumscribed interest in very specific subjects
  • Thought to be really rare but now more commonly diagnose in males
  • 1 to 50 school aged children meet criteria
  • Historical views:
    ○ Mothers are older, colder, aloof
    ○ Parents thought to have high socioeconomic status
  • Older parents mean increased risk
    ○ Could be sperm and egg with larger issues
  • Oxytocin gene: bonding and social memory
  • Amygdala tends to be larger at birth
  • The closer the relative, the higher the risk
  • Increased c-reactive (liver produced during systemic inflammation) protein seems to be driving autism risk
  • DDT affects acytocolyn on insects/pests. Tends to stick around
  • Gut microbiome in autism spectrum disorder is affected
  • Treatment tends to be psychosocial
    ○ Find an aspect of issue and work on that to help
  • Biological treatments
    ○ Has had little positive impact on core dysfunction
    ○ Some decrease agitation
    High IQ and language ability highlight possible greater function

Question 3

intellectual disability

Answer 3

• Below average intellectual and adaptive functioning
  
  • Typically 70-75 IQ
  • Chronic and pervasive
  • Levels: by IQ:
    ○ Mild 51-70 (used to be called Moron)
    ○ Moderate 26- 50 (imbecile)
    ○ Profound (idiot)
  • 1-3% of general population
  • Chronic course (emerge in childhood)
  • Causes
    ○ Lack of folic acid
    ○ Environmental
    ○ Prenatal
  • As many as 1/3 of cases have no known cause○ Intellectual disability
    ○ Only affects females. Sex linked. Recessive allele on X chromosome
    Phenylketonuria (PKU)

Question 4

Causes of intellectual disability: Phenylketonuria (PKU)

Answer 4

cannot break down phenylalanine, which is found in some foods

results in ID when eaten

Question 5

down syndrome

Answer 5

• extra 21st chromosome (Trisomy 21)
• higher risk w older mommas
• detectable w some prenatal tests
  amniocentesis
  chorioinic villus sampling
  mothers blood test

Question 6

Fragile X syndrome

Answer 6

learning disabilities, hyperactivity, short attention span, gaze avoidance

primarily affect males
women w Fragile X have mild symptoms

Question 7

Lesch-Nyham syndrome

Answer 7

○ Intellectual disability
○ Only affects females. Sex linked. Recessive allele on X chromosome

Question 8

neurobiological influences (ASD)

Answer 8

amygdala
- larger size at birth = higher anxiety/fear
- elevated cortisol
- neuronal damage in amygdala results from high stress

oxcytocin
- lower levels in ASD